Flexible, flow-thru applicator packages for holding and dispensing cosmetic products are known. Such applicator packages generally comprise a deformable reservoir for holding a cosmetic product. Suitable cosmetic products may be in fluid, semi-viscous or powder form. A typical flow-thru applicator package further comprises an applicator tip, such as a bristled brush, a powder puff, a foam sponge, a molded plastic base covered with absorbent material or any other substrate for transferring onto a surface. The applicator package also comprises a means for conveying product from the reservoir to a specific location on or in the applicator tip. In use, product reaching the specific location of the applicator tip moves further to a position where the product may be transferred from the applicator tip to another surface. For example, the cosmetic product may emerge onto an exterior surface of the applicator tip from where it can be applied to the skin of a user.
In order to prevent product from reaching the surface of the applicator tip when the flow-thru applicator package is not in use, some means may be employed to reduce or prevent the unwanted flow of cosmetic product to the applicator tip. Unwanted flow of product may occur as a result of the reservoir being inadvertently squeezed, or as a result of gravity or vibration. Also, unwanted flow may occur as a result of an adverse pressure differential that can arise between the inside of the reservoir and the ambient atmosphere. This may occur as a result of temperature and/or pressure changes in the ambient atmosphere. For example, if the package is located in an unpressurized compartment of an airplane, the temperature and pressure inside the reservoir are likely to be greater than the ambient temperature and pressure outside the applicator package. This adverse differential tends to force the flowable product in the reservoir out of the package and will do so, if effective seals are not provided. Following are some examples of known flexible, flow-thru cosmetic applicator packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,897 discloses a conventional plastic squeeze bottle with threadably mounted closure. The container orifice is fitted with a relatively simple snap-fit or friction-fit insert that carries a tuft of bristles. A flow passage through the insert leads to the base of the bristles. No means of preventing unwanted flow is disclosed which means that leakage problems previously discussed may occur. Furthermore, the product flow passage ends at the very base of the bristles, still inside the container insert and does not extend into the bristle tuft. Because of this, the product must force its way between a section of tightly crimped bristles, whereby an even distribution of the product on the bristles is difficult to achieve. In contrast, the present invention does provide means to control unwanted flow and the flow passage extends out of the package housing proper and into the applicator tip for better product distribution.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,753, the flow passage between a squeezable reservoir and a brush a head is normally sealed by the abutment of two surfaces that are snap fitted or friction fitted together. The act of squeezing the reservoir distorts one or more of the surfaces so that the seal is broken and the product under pressure can flow to the bristles. When pressure is removed, the distorted surface return to its original shape and the seal is restored. This device is fairly simple, but suffers from the fact that the flow passage leads to the outside of the bristle envelope at a level that is still inside the package housing proper, rather than leading some distance into the bristle envelope outside of the package housing. In order to be useful, product must be squeezed out of the reservoir onto the brush until some of the product is pushed up toward the distal end of the brush. This requires a significantly large dose of product, all of which may not be needed by the user. The portion of dispensed product that remains near the base of the bristles will not be used and may dry out between uses. Furthermore, with this device the flow passage is only open when the bottle is being squeezed. Therefore, if a user prefers to maintain the flow of product to the brush, she must maintain a tight, forceful grip on the reservoir while manipulating the brush for precise make up application. In contrast, the present invention injects product into the interior of the brush, substantially above the base of the bristles and outside the package housing proper, from where the product will flow evenly throughout the brush. Furthermore, once the closure is removed from the container, the flow passage is open even without squeezing the reservoir.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,874 is a squeeze container with brush applicator having a valve member housing disposed in the container neck. The valve member housing defines a flow passage from the reservoir to the bristles and comprises an axially movable valve stem which is normally sealingly biased against an orifice in the flow passage. The sealing bias is accomplished with a springs or with a bellows integrally molded as the walls of the valve member housing. The valve may be opened only by pressing the brush applicator sufficiently hard against a surface to overcome the sealing bias. Then, if the container is squeezed and/or upside down, product can flow from the reservoir to the bristles. Because the orifice in the flow passage is normally sealed, unwanted flow is controlled. However, this device is relatively complicated and requires several custom designed components each of which adds to the cost of the package. Furthermore, the flow passage does not extend into the bristle tuft beyond the package housing proper. As discussed above, this makes even distribution of the product on the bristles difficult to achieve. Other disadvantages of this design include the need for metal springs which are subject to corrosion, and a specially designed cap to engage the valve member housing. Both the spring and special cap drive up the cost of the package. Also, as noted, the brush applicator must be pressed sufficiently hard to open the valve. This precludes this device from being used for delicate applications, such as nail polish or eye makeup. In contrast, the present invention does not use springs, nor a complicated-to-manufacture bellows nor a custom designed closure. Furthermore, this device and some that follow are inferior to the present invention in that the prior art devices utilize components that slide relative to one another while having to maintain fluid tight seals. In order to achieve fluid tight seals of this type, tight tolerances must be maintained in manufacturing. The sliding fit of the components must be tight enough to form an effective seal but loose enough to permit one component to slid passed the other. Effective seals of this type are substantially more difficult to obtain than the sealing means used in the present invention, which does not utilize components that slide past one another in a sealing relationship.
More complicated approaches have been taken to develop squeeze containers having flow-thru brush applicators as, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,990. Here an orifice in a flow passage between a reservoir and an applicator brush may be fully or partially closed off by a valve stem that moves toward or away from the orifice. The relative position of the fixed valve stem and the movable orifice may be continuously adjusted by the relative rotation of a threaded lower section on the container. In this way, the amount of product that can pass through the orifice may be controlled. Disadvantageously, this device is relatively complicated in that the valve stem (one essential part of the sealing mechanism) must be fixedly mounted in the container neck via a specially designed “central sealing plug”, which is quite complicated and requires special care to ensure a good seal between it and the container neck orifice. Furthermore, the product flow passage orifice (the other essential part of the sealing mechanism) is itself part of a complicated specially designed housing and the product flow passage does not extend outside of the package housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,195 is another rotation-type system, this one analogous to a lipstick riser system. From the closed position, the relative rotation of a sleeve and container, axially advances the applicator holder. When this happens, an orifice at the base of the applicator holder moves away from a needle that seals the orifice when in the closed position. In this way, a flow passage from the reservoir to the brush is opened. When the relative rotation is performed in the opposite direction, the orifice moves toward and contacts the needle and is sealed off, so that product cannot flow. This and other flow-thru devices that use relative rotation to achieve translational motion and flow control are relatively complicated, costly to produce and less reliable than the present invention. Also, here again, the product flow passage does not extend outside of the package housing.
The disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,290, 4,368,746 and 5,904,433 are alike in that they describe flow-thru applicators that have a flow control means that is activated by a container closure. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,290 a brush applicator is mounted in a “nozzle” that is capable of axial movement. When a closure that is specially designed for contact with the nozzle is applied to the container, then the nozzle is pushed further into the container and a portion of a flow passage from the reservoir to the brush becomes blocked. When the closure is removed from the container, the nozzle may be extended slightly, enough to open the flow passage. The nozzle may be extended by a pressure at the back of the nozzle that is created when a user squeezes the container or by a spring optionally provided to push on the back of the nozzle. This device is inferior to the present invention in that this prior art device utilizes components that slide relative to one another while having to maintain fluid tight seals. The disadvantages of this were discussed above. Also, the flow passage of this prior art device terminates at the base of the bristles, still inside the housing and does not extend into the center of the bristle tuft beyond the housing. As discussed above, this makes even distribution of the product on the bristles difficult to achieve. The use of a spring also makes this design inferior to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,746 discloses a lip-cream applicator comprising a squeezable tube of cream having a product exit orifice. The exit orifice emerges into a flow passage of an applicator tip construction, that leads to the base of an applicator pad. The applicator tip construction is axially movable relative to the exit orifice of the tube. Unopposed, a spring holds the applicator tip construction in its fully extended position and the exit orifice is open. However, when a screw cap is applied over the applicator tip construction and allowed to engage threads of the tube, the applicator tip construction is forced closer to the exit orifice, against the action of the spring, until a valve head within the tip construction seats in the exit orifice to cut off the flow of product from the tube. This device is inferior to the present invention in that this prior art device utilizes components that slide relative to one another while having to maintain fluid tight seals. The disadvantages of this were discussed above. Other disadvantages of this design include the need for a metal spring, which is subject to corrosion, and a specially designed cap to engage the applicator tip construction. Both the spring and special cap drive up the cost of the package. A specially designed cap is needed because, over the life of the package, the cap is repeatedly forced against the applicator tip. If precautions are not taken, this abrasive contact may damage the applicator tip. Also, as noted, the applicator tip construction is axially movable and this movement may occur when the applicator tip is pressed against the skin during use. This may be a distraction to a user trying to accurately apply the product. Also, if the user presses hard enough, the flow of product is reduced or cut off during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,433 describes a squeezable flow-thru applicator system having a flow passage that opens when a container closure is removed from a container and that closes when the closure is applied to the container. As the closure is being applied to the container, the closure bears down on radially projecting tabs which causes the applicator housing to deform at specially molded thin-walled portions. This deformation displaces sealing strips located near the thin walled portions, moving the sealing strips toward opposing surfaces until the sealing strips and opposing surfaces form a seal, closing off the flow passage. Removing the closure, releases the deformation and the flow passage opens. This device is quite complicated and relatively difficult to manufacture because it requires custom components having centimeter-sized portions where the wall thickness must be tightly controlled to impart specific flexural properties to the wall. Deforming one component (i.e. thin walled portion) in order to precisely move an adjacent component (i.e. sealing strip) into a sealing relationship with a third component (opposing surfaces) is a significantly complex design, especially in the cosmetics market where pressure to keep component costs low is acute. Furthermore, the product flow passage terminates at the base of the bristles, still within the housing rather than terminating within the applicator tip. In contrast, the present invention uses a deforming sealing means that is responsive to a closure, while having a significantly simpler design than this prior art device.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,067,596 describes a piston-activated shaving cream brush that has a rubber product flow passage that extends substantially beyond the package housing proper into the interior of the applicator tip. To reduce the uncomfortable feel of drawing a rigid member over the skin, the flow passage is flexible rubber However, the uncomfortable feel is not completely eliminated and the flow passage interferes with the operation of the brush. This is unlike the present invention where the flow passage does extend beyond the package housing proper into the applicator tip for maximum product distribution, but does not interfere with the function of the applicator tip nor cause an uncomfortable experience. The present invention does not utilize a relatively complex piston system.